Network management is an actively pursued field of endeavor requiring skilled persons with detailed knowledge of network operation. Whether constructing new networks, or adapting or maintaining existing networks, the skills of the operating personnel are needed to provide efficient and cost-effective networks that satisfy specific operating conditions that may be provided in a service level agreement (SLA). Typically, SLA represents criteria such as quality of service (QoS), response time, guaranteed network up-time, etc.
In network construction or maintenance the skills of the network architect are a critical element in the overall network performance. The network architect, with knowledge of the specifications associated with hardware and software equipment (referred to as Service Level Objectives, SLOs) in the underlying infrastructure configuration must translate the SLOs into a measurable higher level network performance (SLA). SLOs typically may represent factors such as CPU utilization, link utilization, inputs/outputs per second, etc.
To perform such a translation, the network architect must balance the number, location, and type of hardware and software that must be deployed to satisfy a specific higher level operating condition; too much equipment and the desired operating conditions are satisfied, but at a cost for purchase and maintenance of equipment; while too little equipment may fail to satisfy certain ones of the operating conditions Alternatively, just the right amount of equipment may satisfy the desired operating condition when the network is fully operating, but may fail to provide sufficient support when one or more equipments fail or are operating at levels for which they are not designed. Such trading cost of the network infrastructure for overall network performance is a skill that is expensive for companies to retain and for persons to maintain. An incorrect trade-off can result in costing the network owner a significant expense, in dollars, for having too much capability or the expense, in business relationships, of having too little capability.
Hence, there is a need in the industry for a method and apparatus for determining the effect of network equipment operating conditions and specifications on overall service performance.